Spain finished third overall at the 1994 UEFA Under-21 European Championships and were beaten finalists in the same tournament two years later.

In ’94 the Spaniards were beaten 2-0 at the semi-final stage of the competition in Montpellier by a Portugal team that included Abel Xavier, Joao Pinto and Rui Costa.

Video Loading

Video Unavailable

Click to playTap to play

The video will start in 8Cancel

Play now

They then claimed third place by beating a French team that included 1998 World Cup winner Lilian Thuram and 2006 finalist Claude Makele.

Then, in 1996, hosts Spain lost 1-0 in the final to an outstanding Italian side that featured the likes of Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Francesco Totti and Marco Delvecchio.

The Spanish weren’t too shabby either with Karanka sharing a pitch with Gaizka Mendieta, Fernando Morientes, Raul and Ivan de la Pena.

Looking back on those days, the Boro boss said: “It was a good experience for me because I played in the Under-21 Spanish national team when I was 19-years-old. I played with players like Kiko, a lot of players who were playing in the first division so it was a very good experience for me.

“Two years later we played the final against Italy and lost on penalties. Raul and de la Pena missed the penalties.

“But it was a fantastic memory because you enjoyed going to the national team, we normally won the games and there was a very good feeling in the team.”

‘I was so proud to play for the Basque team’

SPAIN may have overlooked Aitor Karanka but he represented his beloved Basque country six times.

Born in the region’s capital Vitoria-Gasteiz, it was inevitable that such a talented player would be a fixture for the “national team”.

“I was proud to play for the Basque team because it is the place where I was born and where I have my family,” said Karanka.

“Every year there is a game at Christmas.

“It’s a great occasion, the atmosphere is very good, the crowd is amazing and it’s a very nice game to play.”

The games are played at San Mames, home of Athletic Bilbao or in the Anoeta Stadium, where San Sebastian-based Real Sociedad play.

Karanka preferred playing in the former.

“I think it’s a better atmosphere in Bilbao,” he said, “the crowd is closer to the pitch, like here.”

Naturally, Karanka is careful not to say the wrong thing when he discusses Basque issues.

It’s still a hot political issue in Spain and he doesn’t want to fan the flames by sayings something in English that can be misinterpreted.

But one thing is certain, Karanka is open minded to new challenges and that’s why he wanted to play in the USA for Colorado Rapids and manage in England.

“It is difficult to explain because we have a problem in Spain with the terrorists,” he said.

“But I like to think that I am from Vitoria, the Basque country, Spain, the world – I prefer to open my mind and look beyond borders.”

National coach ignored strong claims

DESPITE being a regular at Under-21 level, Aitor Karanka made just one senior appearance for Spain.

It’s the major regret of his playing career that he never won more caps for his country.

His solitary appearance came in a Euro ’96 qualifier against Armenia in Yerevan.

Spain won that match 2-0 in April 1995 and would eventually qualify for the 1996 European Championships, which were staged in England.

What rankles is the fact that, at his peak, he was playing for Real Madrid, one of the greatest teams on the planet.

But national coach Jose Antonio Camacho consistently ignored Karanka’s claims either side of the millennium.

“It is one thing that I regret,” he said. “ I felt I could have played more times for the national team.

“One season I played 51 times for Real Madrid and we won the league and we played in Champions League semi-finals but I never went into the national team.

“In that moment I thought I could go but the coach obviously did not agree. For this I never understood why that was.”

Miguel Angel Nadal and Fernando Hierro were the regular centre-backs for Spain around that time and it’s certainly the case that they were both fine players – Hierro in particular – but there’s no doubt Karanka had a claim on the left-back slot.

Camacho opted for Celta Vigo’s Juanfran in that position during 2000/01, the season Real won the title with Karanka a regular in that side.

“Left-sided central defender was my best position,” he said, “but I could play at left-back.”

Games to forget for champs

THE Olympics are often the peak of an athlete’s sporting career but for Aitor Karanka Atlanta ’96 was a games to forget.

Spain were the reigning champions after winning football gold in Barcelona in 1992 and they took an extremely talented squad to the United States four years later.

They were drawn in a group with Australia, France and Saudi Arabia and played all three nations in Orlando, Florida.

The tournament was an under-23 competition and Spain could field the likes of Gaizka Mendieta, Raul and Fernando Morientes.

Javier Clemente’s side progressed from the their group with two wins and a draw, finishing behind leaders France on goal difference.

But they came unstuck in the last eight, losing 4-0 to Argentina with Hernan Crespo scoring twice at Legion Field, in Birmingham, Alabama.

“I don’t have very good memories about the Olympic Games because for us it was like a normal tournament,” said Karanka, who was booked against the Argentinians.

“We were not in the Olympic village. The Olympic Games were in Atlanta and we were in Orlando. We weren’t in the opening ceremony.